Means for starting, stopping, and driving machinery



June 25, 19. l,459,759

E. J. WELFFENS MEANS FOR STARTING, STOPPING, AND DRIVING MACHINERY FiledAug. 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MW WM June 26, 1923. 3,45%,759

' E. J; WELFFENS MEANS FOR STARTING, STOPPING, AND DRIVING MACHINERYFiled Aug. 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVf/VTORI Patented June 26, 1923. i

EMILE JOHN WELFFENS, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MEANS non srnn'rrne, srorrrne, Ann naivrnc Mnonrnnnr.

Application filed August 1, 1922. Serial No. 578,979.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EMILE JorrN W ELF- FENS, a SHbJGCl? of the King ofthe Belgians,

residing at 50 Duncan'RoadfLongsight,

Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new anduseful Improvements in or Relating to Means for Starting, Stopping, andDriving Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to novel arrangements for starting, stopping anddriving machines, shafts and like contrivances.

All arrangements comprise planetary gearing, 'epicyclic or hypocyclic inaction and wherein a driving member carries the planetary membersprovided with clutches, clutch operating gear and one or more springs.Some arrangements may comprise a flywheel, which may be a driving or adriven member, according to the result aimed at.

The invention will beexplainedwith reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which clearly illustrate the principles involved. The variousmembers may be disposed in a variety of ways according to theapplication.

When the explanation is understood, no difficulty will arise, whateverthe result aimed at, in arranging the combination for application to anymachine, mechanism or contrivance improvable by its incorporation.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 shows, in section, a combination,applicable to slubbing, roving and like frames, arranged to secureuniformity of motion besides starting, stoppingand easy inching for thedriven shaft or member;

Figure 2 illustrates, likewise in section, a combination, applicable tomotor vehicles for example, arranged to further uniformity of motion inthe driving member besides securing starting andstopping for the drivenmember.

In Figure 1 sun wheel 1 isfi Xed to driven shaft2, sun wheel 3 is keyedto flywheel a revolubly mounted upon bearing 5. Spring 6 connects sunwheels 1 and 3. shouldered planetary pinions 7 and '7 mesh permanentlywith sun wheel 3 and have lateral clutch teeth, pinions 8 and 8 with sunwheel 1, have lateral clutch teeth and a groove whereby they engageclutch forks 9 and 9f. Studs 10 and 10 carry the planetary pinionsrevolubly, and are fixed in driving drum 11 and in ring 12, this ringmesh perinanently carrying a cover plate l3,thus forming with drum 11 anoil bath for the combination. Studs 14 and 14?, passing through ring 12for support and location, connect the clutch forks 9 and 9 to arm 15,this arm engaging clutch rod 16, passing through driven shaft 2. 17 isthe framing of the machine, to which bearing 5 is fixed and 18 is aspring tending to keep the planetarv clutches out of engagement.

Assuming, that besides aiming at securing uniformity of motion fordriven shaft 2, we also aim, as we should in combinations driving speedand like frames, at gradual start ing, smooth stopping and easy inchingof that shaft, and that the driving member 11 runs at 450 r. p. 111.,then with wheel 1 pro vided with 45 teeth, wheel 3 with 52 teeth,pinions 7 and 7 with 15 teeth and pinions 8 and 8 with 13 teeth, a wheelcombination obtains which is capable of applying the full driving torquein a reasonable starting time by stressing spring 6 which, in sectionand design, is made proportional to the coiling eflected by thecombination as well as to the torque to be transmitted.

Both flywheel 4 through its mass and driven shaft 2 through itsconnection with the machine, possess inertia, the flywheel having thelesser moment. Consequently with member 11 running, and pinions 7, 7,

8 and 8 disconnected, drum and pinion s' will revolve around sun wheels1 and without imparting motion.

Clutching the pinions 7 and 7, 8 and 8" together sets flywheel 4- andsun wheel 3 keyed to it, slowly in motion, because it has less inertiathan the shaft 2 and because the gear train as given above is such thatit forces wheel 3 to precede wheel 1 slowly in driving direction. Thismotion of flywheel 4 and wheel 3 slowly coils spring 6 tighter, therebyit sets driven shaft 2 slowly in motion in driving direction.v The speedofshaft 2 will gradually approach that of flywheel i, which precedes it,with a concomitant diminution in .the action of the planetary gearinguntil when the torsional stress in spring 6 equals the torque on shaft2, flywheel 4, riven shaft2 and driving member 11 all run atsubstantially the same i 1 speed and planetary action practicallyceases. This, illustrates the starting ca paoity of the combination.

Unclutching thepinions disconnects the driving power, the momentumstored up in 'formity of motion formity of motion.

the flywheel 4L spends itself in an effort to continue driving shaft 2while the energy absorbed at starting in coiling spring 6 is usefullyemployed as an automatic brake stopping the machine smoothly becausespring 6 must uncoil and uncoiling can occur only by accelerating shaft2 or by retarding flywheel 4 and, since flywheel at has the lessermoment, it will be retarded This illustrates the stopping capacity ofthe combination.

Since the modulation in speed obtaining is such that it enables themachine to pass smoothly from rest to full speed, any intermediatespeeds will obtain smoothly. Therefore clutching and unelutching inquick succession will slowly inch the ma chine round, a necessity inspeed and like frames for easy piecing up.

Fairly frequent clutching and unclutching in rapid succession impliessmooth and easy clutch action if undue wear isito be avoided. Suchclutch action obtains because pinions 7 and 7 8 and 8 and consequentlythe.

clutches they carry, run constantly in the same direction withconsiderable peripheral velocities which approximate one another veryclosely. Taking the wheel gearing as given above namely a5 13 and 15 wefind that the pinions run, per revolution of drum '11 at 3.461538 and3.466666 revolutions respectively, 3.466666-3. 161538:005128 revolutionsdifference in peripheral. velocity, showing them to be virtually equalwith a. concomitant smooth and noiseless operation of the clutches. Thisillustrates the inching capacity of the combination.

WVhere a driving pulley, fixed to driven shaft 2, fluctuates in speed,belt slip must occur, however, little, if uniformity of motion is toobtain in shaft 2. Consequently kinetic energy must be absorbed incausing that slip.

With the arrangement according to Figure 1, the driving pulley, drum 11,is not fixed to shaft 2. With the planetary pinions clutched together,sun wheels 1 and 3 are connected together positively. Neither can changeits position without the other doing likewise when the torsional stressin spring 6 equals the torque on shaft 2. Both sun wheels, 3 by beingfixed to flywheel 4i and 1 by being fixed to shaft 2, are connected torevolving masses indisposed to accept sudden variations in speed.Therefore. any fluctuations in drum 11, carrying the planetary pinions,spend themselves by oscillations around wheels 1 and 3 without callingfor belt slip thereby leaving the entire kinetic energy developed freeto further uni- And the steadier the running of the machine, the graterthe effect of a comparatively small amount of kinetic energy infurthering absolute uni- This illustrates the steadying capacity of theeombination, in which square clutch teeth are provided.

In Figure 2 sun wheel 1. is fixed to driven shaft 2, sun wheel 3 mountedrevolubly and flywheel a fixed upon driving shaft 5. Spring (5 connectswheels 1 and 3. Planetary pinions 7 and 'i' mesh permanently with sunwheel 8 and have lateral clutch teeth, pinions 8 and S mesh permanentlywith sun wheel 1, have late clutch teeth and a groove engaging clutchfork 9. Studs 10 and 10*, shouldered to keep pinions T and 7* inposition, also carry pinions S and 8 and are fixed in flywheel l andcover plate 13, which form the oil bath in which the gearing is housed.The tup bearing 19 keeps both shafts in alignment.

Assuming that we aim at avoiding the jolting starts and concomitantengine overloads resulting from unskilful release of friction clutches,at present general in motor vehicles, then with a driving speed of 1500r. p, m. and with wheel 1 having 97 teeth, wheel 3 having 93 teeth,pinions 7 and 7 having teeth and pinions 8 and S having teeth, suitablestarting action will obtain.

Starting, stopping, inching and clutching capacities will be asdescribed-with reference to Figure 1. Square clutch teeth are againprovided. lit will now also be obvious, that fluctuations in drivenmember 2 can not affeet the driving member 5 and that they will spendthemselves in oscillating or revolving the pinions around their studs.Likewise acceleration will be very smooth and the inching capacity ofthe combination will materially facilitate gear changing. With theignition cut off and shaft 2 driving, as in descent, spring 6 willslowly uncoil itself until its uncoiled stress equals the brake powersupplied by the compression.

It will now be clear that the device may be used to drive looms, aircompressors, motor vehicles and the like, wherein the load on the drivenmember is a very fluctuating one and that its application will preventthe recoil of such fluctuations upon the driving member. Likewise thatthe same device, with the addition of a free flywheel fixed to the freesun wheel, is useful for operating spinning machinery, printing pressesand the like, wherein the driven load is a steady one and absoluteuniformity of motion a desirable quality in the driven member. v

in conclusion, it will be observed thatthe device operates withoutfriction gear of any description and that its action is not unlikethatof a combination of friction clutch. creeping clutch and spring withoutany of their disadvantages. The applicability of this device is manifoldbut the principle remains the same, and therefore, while I. havedescribed and illustrated practical embodiments of said principle, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the details ofconstruction herein shown, but the same may be varied to meet any givenrequirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimshereto appended.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A device of the class described, comprising, incombination, a driving member and a driven member, a sun Wheel securedto said driven member for rotation there with, a second sun wheelrotatable relative to said driven member, a resilient connection betweensaid sun wheels, pairs of planetary pinions carried by said drivingmember, the pinions of each pair being in mesh with the respective sunwheels and having cooperating clutch members, and means for shifting onepinion of each pair thereby to bring the clutch members into operativeengagement, the ratio of the gearing being such that when the clutchmembers are in engagement the resilient connection will be placed undertension by the rotation of the driving member.

2. A device of the class described, com prising, in combination, adriving member and a driven member, a fly wheel mounted for rotationrelative to said driven member, a sun wheel securedto said driven memberfor rotation therewith, a second sun wheel rotatable with said flywheel, a resilient connection between said sun wheels, pairs ofplanetary pinions carried by said driving member, the pinions of eachpair being in mesh with the respective sun wheels and having cooperatingclutch members, and means for shifting one pinion of each pair therebyto bring the clutch members into operative engagement, the ratio of thegearing being such that when the clutch members are in engagement theresilient connection will be placed under tension by the rotation of thedriving member.

3. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, adriving member and a driven member, a sun wheel-secured to said drivenmember for rotation there with, a second sun wheel rotatable relative tosaid driven member, spring means connecting said sun wheels and adaptedtobe placed under stress by the rotation of one relatively to the other,pairs of planetary pinions carried by said driving member, the pinionsof each pair being in mesh with the respective sun wheels and havingcooperating clutch members, and means for shifting one pinion of eachpair thereby to bring the clutch members into operative engagement, theratio of the gearing being such that when the clutch members are inengagement the spring means will be placed under tension by the rotationof the driving member.

4. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, adriving member and a driven member, a sun wheel secured to said drivenmember for rotation therewith, a second sun wheel rotatable relative tosaid driven member, spring means connecting said sun wheels and adaptedto be placed under stress by the rotation of one relatively to theother, pairs of planetary pinions carried by said driving member, thepinions of each pairbeing in mesh with the respective sun wheels andhaving cooperating clutch members, and means for shifting one pinion ofeach pair thereby to bring the clutch members into operative engagement,the ratio of the gearing and the sec tion and design of the spring meansbeing such that spring stress and driving torque equalize during thetime lag allowed for relative rotation ofsaid sun wheels.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EMILE JOHN WELFFENS.

